A five-alarm brush fire in Stoddard burned more than 100 acres Thursday, threatening 20 homes and forcing officials to close Route 9.

A five-alarm brush fire in Stoddard burned more than 100 acres Thursday, threatening 20 homes and forcing officials to close Route 9.

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Updated: 12:03 AM EDT Apr 22, 2016

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WEBVTT STEPHANIE: YOU CAN STILL SMELL THE SMOKE IN THE AIR. IT IS ALMOST CHOKING HERE. THE FIRE BEHIND US IS STILL BURNING MORE THAN 10 HOURS AFTER IT STARTED. MOST FIREFIGHTERS HAVE GONE HOME FOR THE NIGHT BUT THE FIRE DAMAGE AND THE ARSON INVESTIGATION ARE FAR FROM OVER. >> OBVIOUSLY RIGHT NOW THE CONCERN IS GETTING THIS FIRE TO OUR CONTAINMENT. SO THAT WE CAN WORK ON THE FIRE ITSELF RATHER THAN IT WORKING ON US. STEPHANIE: A BRUSH FIRE BURNS MORE THAN 100 ACRES IN STODDARD AS PRIVATE AND ARMY NATIONAL GUARD HELICOPTERS DUMP HUNDREDS OF GALLONS OF WATER ON THE FLAMES. MORE THAN 100 FIREFIGHTERS ARE TRYING TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES SOME 12 FEET HIGH. BUT FIRE OFFICIALS BELIEVE SOMEONE INTENTIONALLY STARTED THIS FIRE. >> WE WANT THAT OUT THERE, JUST SO IF THEY'RE WATCHING THIS, THEY KNOW WE'RE ON TO THEM. STEPHANIE: STODDARD FOREST FIRE WARDEN JOE SARCIONE SAYS TWO PEOPLE ON TRAIL BIKES WERE SPOTTED SETTING FIRES BEFORE THIS FIRE TOOK OFF AROUND ONE THIS AFTERNOON. DRED AND STATE POLICE ARE TREATING THIS AS AN ARSON CASE AND SARCIONE SAYS NEIGHBORS IN STODDARD ARE WORRIED. 17 HOMES HAVE BEEN EVACUATED ALTHOUGH MORE COULD COME. >> WE WERE WORKING ON AN EVACUATION PLAN FOR TOMORROW IN THE EVENT THAT THIS THING BLOWS UP AND MOVES TO THE CENTER OF TOWN. STEPHANIE: FIREFIGHTERS TOLD ROBERT DRISCOLL AND HIS SISTER HAD TO LEAVE HER HOME ON JUNIPER HILL ROAD BECAUSE THE FIRE COULD REACH HER FRONT DOOR. >> DOESN'T BOTHER ME. IT'S HER HOUSE. STEPHANIE: THIS IS THE 6TH BRUSH FIRE IN STODDARD IN THE PAST 6 DAYS AND BOTH FIREFIGHTERS AND RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS ARE SPENT. >> OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE NERVOUS. IT'S A DRY SPRING. SO EVERYBODY SEES THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND KNOWS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HUNKER DOWN A BE READY ALL THE TIME. STEPHANIE: THE WARDEN BELIEVES THEY MAY STILL BE MOPPING UP THIS FIRE ON SATURDAY.

Officials seek bikers believed to have started fire

A five-alarm brush fire in Stoddard burned more than 100 acres Thursday, threatening 20 homes and forcing officials to close Route 9.